The Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, has said President Bola Tinubu’s recent Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia will not guarantee his re-election in 2027.
Shaibu made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. He criticised the politicisation of the President’s religious trip, arguing that a second term cannot be secured through spiritual claims.
The spokesperson for ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar said visiting the holy land should remain a personal matter rather than a national event. He also questioned the sincerity of the President’s faith, claiming that former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai would not still be in custody if Tinubu truly practised what he professed.
Shaibu further faulted the President for speaking into a microphone in Saudi Arabia while many Nigerians continue to struggle with economic hardship. He dismissed the administration’s claims of economic improvement, stating that citizens still face high costs of food, goods and services.
According to him, Nigerians would remember the President’s prayers in Mecca alongside the difficult living conditions at home.When asked whether Atiku would have joined Tinubu on the trip if invited, Shaibu said the former vice-president had sponsored the President’s first journey to Mecca.On Atiku’s prospects in the northern states in 2027, Shaibu expressed strong confidence, declaring that the former vice-president was “home and dry” in the region.
President Tinubu left Abuja for Makkah on October 29 to perform Umrah, seeking divine guidance and blessings for Nigeria. After completing the rites, he described the experience as spiritually fulfilling and said he had prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving the nation.
Tinubu recalled performing Umrah before the 2023 election and returning this time to thank Allah for answering his earlier prayers.